“At Alexandria, the birthday
of blessed Mark, evangelist, disciple and interpreter of the Apostle St.
Peter. He wrote his gospel at the
request of the faithful of Rome, and taking it with him, proceeded to Egypt and
founded a church at Alexandria, where he was the first to announce Christ. Afterwards, being arrested for the
faith, he was bound, dragged over stones and endured great afflictions. Finally he was confined to prison,
where, being comforted by the visit of an angel, and even by an apparition of
our Lord himself, he was called to the heavenly kingdom in the eighth year of
the reign of Nero.”
The Golden Legend says that
Mark was a Levite and a Jewish priest. “And when he was christened, he was godson of
St. Peter the apostle, and therefore he went with him to Rome. When St. Peter preached there the
gospel, the good people of Rome prayed St. Mark that he would put the gospel in
writing, like as St. Peter had preached.”
Peter sent Mark to
Alexandria (Egypt) to preach, and such was his success, that Peter made him the
city’s bishop, but Mark, not greatly enamored of the prospect, cut off his
thumb so that he couldn’t be made a priest. [It must have grown
back, because he has both is thumbs in the picture.] His self-mutilation didn’t work. Bishop Mark went on to lead the church
in Alexandria.
The usual suspects (idol
worshippers) began to plot how they might kill him, whereupon Mark took
advantage of the Witness Protection Program, left his Auxiliary Bishop in
charge, and moved to another town for two years. Figuring that they must have got over their ire and moved on
with their lives (he was wrong), he returned to Alexandria.
“Now it happened on Easter
day, when St. Mark sang Mass, they assembled all and put a cord about his neck,
and drew him throughout the city…
And the blood ran upon the stones, and his flesh was torn piecemeal that
it lay upon the pavement all bloody.
After this they put him in prison, where an angel came and comforted
him, and after came our Lord to visit and comfort him, saying, ‘Peace be to
you, Mark, my Evangelist! Be not
in doubt, for I am with you and shall deliver you.’
And on the morn they put the
cord about his neck and drew him like they had done before… and when they had
drawn, he thanked God and said: ‘Into Thy hands Lord, I commend my spirit’, and
he thus saying died. “
He is a patron of notaries
and lawyers, and from various miracles, the patron of glaziers, prisoners, and
those suffering from neck swellings.
He is invoked against the danger of dying impenitent, skin diseases, and
insect bites [keep a little statue of St.
Mark on your picnic table this summer].
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While St. Mark’s Eve is
considered the optimum time for seeking otherworldly knowledge, if you chose
not to trust your nerves last night there is a love charm available today. It is a little early in the northern
hemisphere for sage plants, but if you have one growing on your windowsill (and
the theft of a few leaves won’t be noticed), wait until the clock begins to
strike the noon hour, then pluck one sage leaf at each stroke of the bell. You should dream of your future husband
tonight, if you are to have one.
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Artwork:
Limbourg frères, “Martyrdom
of Saint Mark”, Très Riches Heures de
Jean, Duc de Berry (15th century)
